Audiobooks & Video Training L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo/The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [2-Disk Special Edition] (1970) (078640924X)

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L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo/The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [2-Disk Special Edition] (1970)

Label: Blue Underground | Length: 96 min | Release Date: 19 February 1970 / 12 June 1970 (US) | Genre: Giallo

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Plot Keywords:

Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), an American writer living in Rome, witnesses an attempted murder and becomes the target of the crazed killer...

It's sometimes suggested that Dario Argento invented the giallo — a singularly Italian brand of thriller typified by seedy plot elements and fetishistic murder set pieces — with the 1970 release of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. In truth, Argento didn't invent the genre at all — the true father of the cinematic giallo was Argento's mentor Mario Bava, who by 1970 had already made The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1962), Blood and Black Lace (1964) and A Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1968). Apart from Bava, other Italian directors had tried their hand at the formula, including Lucio Fulci (Perversion Story, 1968), Umberto Lenzi (Orgasmo, 1968) and Riccardo Freda (Double Face, 1969). In bringing this unauthorized adaptation of the Fredric Brown novel Screaming Mimi to the screen, Argento wasn't really doing anything terribly new in terms of content; Bava, in particular, had laid the groundwork of fetishistic murder set-pieces in Blood and Black Lace and had already explored the dark recesses of a childhood trauma in A Hatchet for the Honeymoon — but what he did bring to the format was a youthful exuberance that connected with viewers in a way that those earlier films had failed to do. If Argento didn't exactly invent the subgenre, he certainly popularized it, opening the floodgates on a veritable tidal wave of Italian thrillers that continues to the present day.

Bird is as good a debut feature as one could imagine. In terms of its story and structure, the film lays the groundwork for most of Argento's filmography — one could make a convincing argument that, excepting his odd forays into straightforward horror or other mixed genres, he's literally spent his entire career remaking this intricately plotted thriller, forever looking for subtle (and not-so-subtle) twists to perfect the formula. The project originated with Argento's friend (and co-Once Upon a Time in the West-scribe) Bernardo Bertolucci — Bertolucci, already a successful director in his own left, was introduced to Brown's sleazy murder mystery and saw cinematographic potential in it. In fact, American director Gerd Oswald had already done a straightforward adaptation in 1958, starring Swedish sexpot Anita Ekberg (La Dolce Vita). For whatever reason, Bertolucci decided to pass on the project but recognized it as ideal subject matter for Argento. Argento, who up until that point had never considered directing, hammered out a screenplay that he was so proud of that he asked his father, producer Salvatore Argento, for the opportunity to direct it himself — having already seen some of his scripts butchered by hack filmmakers, he didn't want to risk this one being altered for the worse by another pair of hands. The rest, as they say, is history...

In many respects a far more coherent and tightly plotted film than many of his later works, Bird is uncommonly sure-footed for a debut feature. If the film lacks the audacity of his later films, it pays to remember that, hey, we all gotta start somewhere. This is not to suggest that the film is at all flat or functional in its execution — together with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now), Argento creates a number of vivid images. The rightly celebrated scene in which Dalmas is caught between the glass doors of the art museum, helplessly watching as the murderer attempts to kill a young woman, is but one of many bravura set-pieces that belie the presence of a novice filmmaker. Argento maintains a high level of tension and suspense throughout, peppering the action with touches of humor that are more successful than some of the humorous vignettes in his later films. Compared to some of his other films, Bird also displays a palpable affection for its characters. Dalmas may be obsessive in his quest to unmask the murderer, thus connecting him to later 'amateur sleuths' that dominate his filmography, but he is portrayed in a sympathetic and endearing manner. His interaction with oddball supporting characters feels natural and organic to the plot, something that can't always be said of Argento's other pictures, and even the scenes with the police have a sense of urgency that is rare in this type of film. Argento introduces his favored themes of lack of communication and the faultiness of the memory in this film, as well: Dalmas is obsessed by the idea that he is forgetting an important clue, and this obsession consumes him throughout, while the final twist at the end reveals a visual sleight of hand that Argento continues to tinker with in his newer thrillers like Sleepless (2000) and The Card Player (2005).

NOTE The following paragraph contains spoilers. Those who have not seen this film are strongly advised to skip over it.

The casting and technical credits are topnotch. Tony Musante (The Incident, TV's Toma) and Argento had a rocky relationship on this picture, something that would color the director's attitude towards actors for many years, but their tension doesn't manifest itself on screen. He makes for a likable protagonist, effectively conveying a wide range of emotions from his initial cockiness to the edgier quality he attains as the narrative unfolds; along with David Hemmings in Deep Red (1975), Max Von Sydow in Sleepless, Karl Malden in The Cat o' Nine Tails (1970) and Anthony Franciosa in Tenebre (the latter ironically being another performer whom Argento couldn't stand), he is far and away the most engaging of Argento's giallo protagonists. Suzy Kendall (Torso) doesn't have a lot to do as Musante's love interest, but she rises to the occasion during her lengthy stalking scene. Enrico Maria Salerno, one of Italy's premiere film and theatre performers, steals scene after scene as the distracted police inspector — his charming, intelligent performance adds immensely to the police procedural set-pieces, very often an interminable time-killer in films of this ilk. Eva Renzi (Funeral in Berlin) is initially in much the same position as Kendall, seemingly cast as a hapless would-be victim, but she gives a convincing portrayal of sadistic dementia when she is unmasked as the killer. Familiar Euro cult faces like Mario Adorf (Short Night of the Glass Dolls), Umberto Raho (Baron Blood), Fulvio Mingozzi (Suspiria), and Reggie Nalder (Mark of the Devil) show up in small supporting roles; Adorf is particularly memorable as a reclusive artist with a taste for cat meat. Storaro's stylish cinematography and Ennio Morricone's marvelous score — alternating between childish lullaby-like themes and atonal experimental jazz — are the icing on the cake.

A first-class example of its genre, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage may not be the first film of its kind, but it is one the best.

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